Sports has been my greatest life teacher, in every way!

I could list 100 principles I’ve learned from sports but for this blog entry, I’m only going to focus on one.

Being a part of the track community throughout my life has empowered me to achieve greatness.

Not to take away from my incredibly supportive family and extended family, because they are the core and root of my support system, but having support from a larger community was an undeniably important ingredient for my success.

CHAMPION GIRL

When I started competing at 7 years old the memories of my track days that are the most unforgettable, are walking out onto the track at the Jamaican National Stadium and hearing my entire school, Vaz Prep (the best elementary school on the island) scream my name. I know it’s probably hard to imagine, but track and field is like high school football in Texas. We Jamaicans love it and take it very seriously. Our entire school would practice cheers before our big championship meets and thousands of people would come to watch us run. 

I was the best athlete at my school and won Champion Girl every year at the championship meet and that feeling of love and support lifted me higher than I can describe. I felt invincible and unstoppable on the track. It didn’t end there. That confidence spilled over into the classroom and I was always ranked in the top three in my class academically.

MIGRANT GIRL

When we migrated to the United States, I was so nervous. I was so popular in Jamaica, I loved my school and my friends, everything was perfect. Now my parents were forcing us to start over and I wasn’t sure if I would fit in. If I would make friends quickly, if they would understand my thick Jamaican accent, or if I would find my footing.

Then my saving grace, my track community showed up again! 

I joined the track team and immediately made new friends, started winning races and felt that same confidence I had in Jamaica to tackle this new chapter.

PROFESSIONAL GIRL

When I started my professional career, I assembled one of the largest support teams of most professional track athletes. I had two coaches, a physical therapist, a sports psychologist, two managers, two agents and a publicist. 

I needed every single one of them!

What I set out to do was daunting. Only one other American woman had ever won the 400m Olympic Gold medal and in order to do it, I knew I needed a great team and together we did it!

PREGNANT GIRL

Ross and I waited so long to have a baby. We were together for over 14 years before having our son. I just knew I was ready! Then I had Deucey and I felt overwhelmed, unhappy at times, anxious, nervous and I knew something was missing. Once again I had incredible support from my favorite women. My mom, sister and cousin, all incredible moms that I trust and value but were unable to answer all my questions and concerns. I, like most moms, would lean on Google for so much but I needed more.

That’s when it hit me!

Everyone says it takes a village to raise a child and they’re so right, but what they aren’t saying is that it takes a NATION to support a mom!

I needed to belong to a community again. I needed more like-minded women around me supporting me and me supporting them so that we could all stand on top of the most important podium together. Winning as mommies!

I’d like to think it was also fate that I ended up at a summit about a month before launching MommiNation, and heard Gwyneth Paltrow speak about her lifestyle brand Goop. They talked about the financial success of her brand, which was very intriguing, but what she said about her company’s impact was even more compelling.

She said what she loved most about her brand is that the articles they produce actually shift conversations and affect popular culture. There are actual metrics that show how people begin to have a change of heart after their perspective is shared on a topic, incorporating the blog’s stance on the issue into their ways of thinking.

WOW!!!!

That moved me.

I realize that I am no Gwyneth Paltrow yet but I dream of having a platform that is responsible in sharing about matters that affect our mommies and our communities and that becomes one of the greatest resources for moms. A place that women can go every day and feel inspired, motivated and uplifted. I dream, like Gwenth, to have a 100 women working with MommiNation as full-time bloggers so they can do something they love and still be at home with their families.

Many times we think of moms as one dimensional, but it’s so far from the truth. Moms need to be supported in every way. As wives, partners, singles, employees, bosses, stay-at-home moms, working moms, fitness enthusiasts, chefs, authors, philanthropists and so much more. 

I knew I couldn’t create a place like that alone so I reached out to as many women as I could and asked them to join me in making this vision a reality! We launched with 25 Mombassadors and have been growing every day!

It’s only been a short amount of time and I’m already feeling like a better mom, wife, and entrepreneur because of my new community. I’ve learned new meals from our Vegan Expert Robin Beltran, I’ve felt reassured by Mommi Pam in her blog The Day I Became a Mom I Entered Stage 1 of Grief, I’ve been inspired by Mommi Joanna’s blog God Created You For This and challenged by Mommi Mykal in her Generational Wealth series!

My community has changed but my need for community has stayed the same.

I feel like I’m soaring again and I want this for all mommies! 

I hope you find the same feeling of realness, love, and support when you visit MommiNation. I want you to share with all your friends, mommies or not. Let’s grow this community together!

I’m looking for awesome bloggers and experts to continue growing the vision and meeting our mission of creating a community that is realistic, relatable and reliable!

Join Us!

MOMMI SANYA